Land of Great Thirst
by Zarius
Summary: Hondo Maclean returns to his place of work to grade the students of the class known as "The Kalahari", but someone Hondo knows has popped in for a visit. Can Hondo enlighten him on his most recent, and life-changing, decision?


**M.A.S.K:**

**LAND OF GREAT THIRST**

**WRITTEN BY ZARIUS**

**DISCLAIMER: M.A.S.K and all related characters are property of DIC Entertainment and Kenner Toys. Only original characters like Principle Kalish belong to me.**

* * *

Hondo, briefcase in hand, checked his watch. Quarter to One.

"That isn't good" he thought to himself. "Barely fifteen to lunch"

This meant only one thing. He'd have to spend his off hour GRADING.

All because he had to make a few phone calls to M.A.S.K headquarters and process necessary paperwork for a mission he had undertaken yesterday afternoon. An appointment with worldlier affairs had again done more to damage his occupation in the working world.

Refusing to panic, Hondo composed himself and entered the main school building, darting past the secretary and heading up the long flight of stairs to the third floor of the school. He didn't want to think about excuses, not when he had as many papers to analyze and talking to the secretary would take up the time he could easily spend hard at work.

He reached his floor and charged down the hallway, speed-walking in a straight line, trying to look focused and with respect to the classic school mandate of "no running in the halls", something he often forgot to honour in all the times he spent running out of class to answer the call of his fellow M.A.S.K agents.

As he approached the corridor containing his class, he heard faint giggling coming from two female students who were walking past him. His sharp hearing picked up the average female teenager chit-chat about good looking teachers and their character traits. As the three passed one another, Hondo couldn't help but afford himself a warm smile, which was noticed by the girls. They continued relishing in their high-pitched laughter and loud whispering, and before long were arguing over which one of them had sparked the smile.

Hondo had always been a very confidant man, it's what gave him the energy to plunge headfirst into danger, even at the potential cost of his own life. He had faced the fragility of mortality once before when he rescued the son of his boss, Matt Trakker, from falling debris during a skirmish between M.A.S.K and V.E.N.O.M, and had been severely injured in the attempt. Only the regenerative healing properties of a radioactive meteorite were enough to save his life on that occasion.

He had no fears, no anxieties, about the risk his agents, his leader, were willing to take with that lump of rock.

Any normal person may have put faith in nature, or a God they believed in, to see them through such state of physical distress, but Hondo had faith in the track record of his team, and even if something had happened to him, he would die knowing his own risk had paid off and given a young life an assured future.

His mind turned back to that thought for a brief moment…the notion of the youth of today and what kind of future he was building for them. It was a thought that had come to him many times over, thoughts that had fuelled his most recent decision, which was also his greatest risk.

Before he could be distracted by it again, in this time where his attention was greatly needed on other things, he was met outside his classroom door by an enigmatic man with soft, kindly features, but with a prescience that commanded fear and respect by his peers.

A force stood before Hondo, a force that, no matter how well spoken, no matter how politely expressed, had the power to take away his gifts to the ever curious and ambitious world he inhabited

Principle Kalish.

NOW he had every right to be apprehensive.

"Hondo Maclean, you are again of an impossible hour" Kalish said in his dignified upper-class English accent. "It's little wonder the student body vote you as "teacher of the year" consistently with the amount of class dismissals under your belt"

"I'm sorry Principle Kalish. Really. It won't happen again" Hondo said, raising his right hand upwards, "Scouts honour" he added.

Kalish groaned at the sheer cheese of this, but he did not display a temper. His primary traits comprised of patience and understanding.

"I know you to be a capable teacher Hondo, you are very high on priority, I just wish I knew what kind of priority takes higher precipice over educating keen minds" Kalish pondered.

As he walked past Hondo and down the corridor, he remembered something else, and stopped to convey it to him.

"Even our visitor today was trying to fight your battles" he added, "He took a perfectly good stab at putting you over, but I felt he couldn't really convince me that your other occupations were as urgent as my need for you to be here…I guess that's just me responding to my calling, the need to further education"

"A visitor?" Hondo asked.

"Yes, he came around to see if you had made it back yet" Kalish revealed, " As it happens, he had arrived a tad too early. I'll send him up if you like" he assured him. Hondo nodded.

"That'd be great" Hondo said. Kalish smiled and proceeded to walk down the corridor. He turned left towards the door leading to the stairs, and vanished from sight.

Hondo swiftly entered his classroom and put his briefcase down on to the large desk at the centre of the room, he pulled up a chair, sat down, and began filing through the homework papers his class had sent in to him yesterday morning. Marking them so they would be ready to return to the students during tomorrow's class..

Going through the submissions was a hectic chore. The subject was the life story of Nelson Mandela. The efforts to explain who he was and the impact he had left on his country were of a questionable variety.

Some told the story accurately and in their own words. Some told the story accurately, but had copied the text word-for-word from a biography. Some had missed the point of him completely, and some simply had their own dirty little fun drawing angry faces and derogatory comments about their teacher. Labelling him "Tonto McClain", or "Mr. Tardy". Hondo merly shook his head at this tomfoolery, and passed judgement with his trusty red marker. "C"s and "F"s were distributed with just about every page examined.

While continuing to flick through the submissions, one caught Hondo's eye. A very fluent, well-versed essay on the subject in question, the text rich in flowerily language, full of praise for the man's achievements, and the essay appeared to end with an optimistic message of hope and inspiration that any person reading could be touched by.

Hondo was certain this would be his first "A+" of the afternoon…until he read the closing paragraphs a little more closely.

"…_For on the day of Mandella's release, the people celebrated in great numbers, for they felt his passion, and his passion ignite…_

…

…"

Hondo looked for the conclusion of the sentence…only to find nothing there. The student had forgotten to finish it, he didn't even finish what he assumed was meant to be the word "ignited".

Hondo put aside the papers and gently rubbed his eyes. He took a deep yawn and sat back in his chair, collecting his thoughts.

He suddenly noticed a few sheets of paper to the right of him, next to his already stacked load. Hesitantly, he turned one over and examined it.

Well versed paragraphs, complete sentences, and correct answers. These were the pop quiz sheets given to the class earlier in the morning, before he had to take off and punch in his clock at M.A.S.K HQ. There were three question papers overall, meaning that, out of the twenty or so in attendance this morning, only three had bothered to stay and do the work required.

"You guys have earned my favourite and all too rarely used letter of the alphabet" he said aloud, feeling his faith in his students had been rejuvenated. He gleefully putting his marker pen to the paper and giving the submissions an "A"

"Still some people getting it right?" came a familiar voice from outside the classroom. Hondo glanced at the person approaching him.

"I figured you'd show up sooner or later" Hondo said, recognizing the man.

"I took the liberty of supervising your class while you were away. There weren't many that stuck around, but the ones that did talked quite highly of you" the man said. Hondo smirked.

"I'm surprised with the way I act" he said.

"It's often the act that puts the play in motion" the man advised, cutting a very cryptic promo on the teacher.

"I see you've yet to let Bruce out of your head Matt" Hondo joked.

Matt Trakker couldn't help but agree

"You trying to put in a good word for me with the superiors?" Hondo asked. Matt smiled.

"It was the least I could do for you taking time out of your workload for something as simple as post-assignment clean-up" he revealed, "You put together a good case for our defence to the high ranking tribe officials. We didn't mean to cause that much damage to their territory, but much greater destruction would have been caused if V.E.N.O.M had seized that field laser"

"I'm not an attorney Matt, I'm a teacher, it's my job to educate less enlightened people on the magnitude of our missions, just as I try to educate my students on the magnitude of the world. In many ways, I don't see much of a difference between these tasks"

"Understood" Matt said.

The two men let silence dictate the next few moments, as Hondo began to read Matt's face, he knew there was something else on his mind. He also knew precisely what it was.

"That's not why you're really here? Is it?" Hondo inquired.

"Hondo, are you sure I can't persuade you to change your mind regarding the subject matter of our conversation yesterday?" Matt asked

"Take your best shot" Hondo said. Matt accepted the challenge.

"Next week we register with sponsors for the world racing circuit" Matt announced, "It's a monumental challenge, but it's the only assured way we can keep tabs on VENOM. They're using the world series as a platform to expand their hold on the markets targeted by Contra-World" he explained.

"And you think winning trophies and one-upping them in a race to the finish line is going to prevent them from committing their usual crimes?" Hondo countered, "Kidnapping? Extortion? Terrorist campaigning? These guys tried to destroy the statue of liberty once. How are they even permitted legal drivers licenses let alone allowed to register for racing?"

"V.E.N.O.M is difficult to understand in their motives, hard to predict, and that makes them more dangerous than ever. These are times of desperate characters, where the wrong people are gaining more leverage in world affairs, we have to tip the balance as best we can"

"Did you have to be so public about it?" Hondo asked. Matt's head sank. That was the million dollar question he'd been asked by so many of his agents…Gloria, Alex, Bruce. All had aired their reservations.

Under pressure from sponsors during their negotiations to register, and added concern from the PNA over the kind of ramifications that could boil over from conflicts between M.A.S.K and V.E.N.O.M on their territories, Matt had no choice but to take his organization public. Any agent who volunteered to stay on for the racing missions had to lead a very high-profile existence. No masks, no codenames, just them and all their dirty laundry at the mercy of the masses.

Some had taken to it well and offered up their services with no fear of repercussion. Some hung on to their animosity, opting to observe the world for any sign of further crimes committed by forces other than V.E.N.O.M who sought to take advantage of the situation.

And some saw this crucial turning point as the incentive they needed to leave it all behind. The safeguarding of their identities in exchange for their resignations. Despite Matt's best efforts, he had already lost a few agents to this option.

And despite his best efforts now, he was about to lose another.

"I'm sorry Hondo" Matt said. All he COULD say under the circumstances.

Hondo got out of his chair and walked over to his boss.

"If it were any other situation, I'd have your back" he said, "But things are slipping on my front, the student body needs their brain. You know what the students call my class? _The Kalahari. _Translated, that's "land of great thirst". That's what they have Matt, a thirst for knowledge and an understanding of the wider world. Outside of a few loyal exceptions, most of my pupils relish the moment I take my leave to go save civilization as we know it., it's a vacation to them…students commonly have the attention span of a newt when you're not commanding their attention on a regular basis. If you don't respect the time they've put into wanting to listen to you, THEY don't respect the time you spend on other projects. If I sign up with you, I become a celebrity, celebrities bring a lot of perks…but they don't bring anyone knowledge, or a greater understanding of the world, it's people, or it's places. You can say I might be able to inspire on the circuit, and that's true, I could, but it wouldn't be the same as conveying to someone how important an exceptional place or person is to history, or how simple a complicated equation is. Dizzying them with mad dashes across the world entertains, it doesn't enlighten"

"That's some defence" Matt said, complimenting his friend. "You sure you're best spent here and not in a court of law?"

"Like I said, I don't see the difference. Everyone's a teacher to some degree. And everyone needs education" Hondo concluded.

Matt, realizing he wasn't going to persuade Hondo to remain, extended his hand.

"Then you may continue where you left off Mr. Maclean he said, humbled, "Go and educate"

Hondo warmly shook Matt's hand.

"Take care of yourself Matt" he said.

Matt nodded, broke his hand away from Hondo, and left the classroom, heading back to his own world, now minus one member, minus one teacher, and minus one friend.

Hondo sat back down, looking at the remaining pieces of submitted homework. He was able to finish his grading five minutes before the lunch hour came to an end.

As he began writing numerous key notes on his blackboard, intending to relay them to the class upon their arrival, he was greeted by a fellow teacher

"Prepping for the Kalahari Maclean?" joked the teacher. Hondo rolled his eyes at the rib.

"From now on, I aim to quench their thirst" he said, giving the teacher a knowing wink.

**THE END**


End file.
